Chapter 154: Discovered by His Wife
Chapter 154: Discovered by His Wife
"Is there something you need?" Lu Yuan asked, his expression unchanged as he straightened the folder in front of him.
Meng Qianqian replied, "Oh, I just met Princess Wanping earlier. I'll have Xiaoqianzi inform you of the details later."
Lu Yuan responded with a nonchalant 'hmph'.
"Nine, nine!" Baozhuzhuzhu wriggled free from Cen Guanshi and scurried into the room.
She pulled herself up using the table leg and glared angrily at Lu Yuan, looking ready to disown her deadbeat dad!
Lu Yuan paid her no mind.
Then, she really did stumble over to him, raised her tiny fist, and threw a punch at her deadbeat dad.
A cold glance from Lu Yuan made her little body tremble, and she immediately held out her chubby arms towards Meng Qianqian.
Meng Qianqian quickly scooped the little one into her arms and said, "Grand Commander, you're busy. I'll take Bao Zhu back to the mansion first!"
With that, she fled amidst the other person's murderous gaze.
As soon as she left, the usually stoic Lu Yuan immediately wore a pained expression and plucked a silver needle from his thigh, gritting his teeth as he said, "She hits so hard..."
After returning to the Grand Commander's mansion, Meng Qianqian had lunch with the Old Dowager and then proceeded to tell her a story from a storybook.
The Old Dowager was so engrossed that she didn't want to stop: "I want to hear more."
Meng Qianqian smiled and said, "It's time for your afternoon rest, Your Grace. I'll continue the story tomorrow."
"Alright."
The Old Dowager listened to Meng Qianqian's suggestion and, picking up Baozhu, the two of them, young and old, went to rest.
Baozhu, who had no intention of taking an afternoon nap: "!!!!"
Back when Lu Yuan and Meng Qianqian had first met, he would bring Baozhu to find her for her night feedings every midnight, giving her the impression that he had nothing better to do during the day.
It was only after she married into the Grand Commander's mansion that she realized he was a diligent regent, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he worked from dawn to dusk.
It wasn't until nightfall that Lu Yuan returned. He first went to Tinglan Garden to pay his respects to the Old Dowager, as his "identity" now was that of Meng's son-in-law.
Fortunately, the Old Dowager was very pleased with this great-grandson-in-law. Not only did she not set rules for him, but she also invited him to dine with them.
The Old Dowager waved her hand and said, "Alright, it's getting late. You should go and rest now."
Baozhu: I want to go too!
Baozhu scrambled towards the door, but just as she reached it, the Old Dowager swooped in and scooped her back up.
Baozhu's face darkened!
Lu Yuan attended the morning court sessions and spent the morning and afternoon handling official government affairs. Even at night, he didn't rest, though Meng Qianqian guessed that he was now tending to his personal matters—in other words, tasks undertaken in secret from the court.
Conveniently, Meng Qianqian also had her own matters to attend to, and the two of them didn't interfere with each other.
Just as Meng Qianqian took out some paper and a brush, Tan'er's voice sounded from the courtyard, "You're practicing your swordplay? How did you get here?"
Shangguan Ling replied, "I'm feeling a little unwell. Could I trouble the Madame to take a look at it?"
"Sister!" Tan'er called out to the room.
"Come in," said Meng Qianqian.
Tan'er stepped aside to let him through and then continued swinging on the swing.
There hadn't been a swing set here before, but knowing Tan'er's love for swings, Cen Guanshi had specially ordered people to make two beautiful ones.
With the door wide open, Shangguan Ling entered the room with a respectful expression.
Meng Qianqian pointed to the stool next to the Eight Immortals table, "Please sit, Commander Shangguan."
Shangguan Ling sat down, "Madame, please just call me Shangguan Ling."
Meng Qianqian nodded, "Where are you feeling unwell?"
Shangguan Ling extended his left arm, "This afternoon, I was sparring with someone and might have overextended it. I heard that the Madame is very skilled in acupuncture. Could I trouble you to treat me?"
Meng Qianqian glanced at Shangguan Ling, "Alright, Banxia."
"Yes!"
Banxia opened the cabinet and took out a set of silver needles, placing them on the Eight Immortals table.
Meng Qianqian opened the needle case, revealing two rows of silver needles that glinted coldly in the light.
Shangguan Ling rolled up his sleeves, allowing Meng Qianqian to treat him while casually asking out of curiosity, "Madame, is that the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles?"
"It should be," replied Meng Qianqian.
Now that she was married to Lu Yuan, there was no point in keeping certain things hidden.
Shangguan Ling's mind was obviously not on the question itself, so he didn't notice that the answer was a bit odd. 'It is what it is'—what did 'it should be' mean?
Shangguan Ling counted, "But there are twenty-five needles here!"
"One set is for healing, the other for killing," Meng Qianqian explained.
The set for killing had one less needle, which she had used earlier that day in the palace.
Shangguan Ling finally understood. He noticed that the needles Meng Qianqian was using on him were all from the first row.
He thought for a moment, then picked up one of the needles from the second row, "Is this one for killing? Can silver needles really kill?"
"Be careful, they're poisonous!" Meng Qianqian warned.
And of course, Shangguan Ling managed to prick himself.
He looked at Meng Qianqian sheepishly, "There...should be an antidote, right...?"
Meng Qianqian handed him a bottle of the antidote.
After the treatment, Shangguan Ling waved his arms around, "Hey? It really doesn't hurt anymore! Thank you, Madame. I'll take my leave now!"
He left with the antidote in hand.
Meng Qianqian put away the silver needles. Half a watch later, she got up and went to see Lu Yuan.
She stood outside the slightly ajar door and said softly, "Grand Commander, it's me, I'm coming in."
"Mhm." Lu Yuan replied nonchalantly.
Meng Qianqian pushed the door open and entered.
Lu Yuan was perusing several secret letters that had been sent by someone unknown; this time, he didn't knock them over.
Meng Qianqian merely glanced at them without trying to read their contents. "There's something I forgot to tell you, Grand Commander."
"Speak."
"We were being followed in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Tan'er went to chase after them but couldn't catch up."
"Alright, I will look into this matter." Lu Yuan said, then noticed that Meng Qianqian didn't seem to be leaving. He glanced at her and asked, "Something else?"
"The Crown Prince...was it really you who killed him?" Meng Qianqian asked.
Lu Yuan hadn't expected this question from her. He paused for a moment before replying indifferently, "So what if it was? And so what if it wasn't?"
Meng Qianqian said softly, "It doesn't matter. I just wanted to tell you, Grand Commander, that I'm on your side."
Lu Yuan suddenly looked up at her, a smile tugging at his lips, "Meng Xiaojiu, do you understand me? Do you know what it means to stand by my side?"
It was a strange question to ask now that they were married, for husband and wife were one, sharing in each other's glory and disgrace.
But there was also a saying, 'Married couples are like birds in the same forest, flying away separately when disaster strikes.'
Who says a married couple should always be of one heart? She and Lu Lingxiao were a perfect example of that.
Meng Qianqian met his smiling eyes calmly, a smile that didn't reach their depths and sent a chill down her spine.
She didn't waver in the slightest as she said, "We live as we approach death. What does it matter if there are consequences?"
Lu Yuan's smile faded as he averted his gaze, a cold snort escaping his lips, "Honeyed words and a charming smile."
Meng Qianqian watched him feign calm, his eyelashes quivering slightly, and a smile curved her own lips. She placed a bottle of medicine on the table and turned to leave.
As she stepped across the threshold, she glanced back and said, "Each of my needles is poisoned with a different toxin, and each requires a different antidote."
Lu Yuan: "..."
Ha ha ha ha, how awkward! What do you do when your wife is too clever?
(End of Chapter)
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